Money Matters 3 - TOP TABOO TOPIC

Money matters are fragile, sensitive matters as it remains one of the most difficult issues to openly deal with in Christianity today.

5 reasons for the tabooness of money...

1) The Evil of Money

1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith...

1 Timothy 6:17 - Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, Who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Many Christians have been conned into believing that God is against riches and against His people being rich. For far too long, sincere but foolish Christians connect and label wealthy people including rich Christians as being ungodly and worldly. This is the first reason why money issues are sensitive issues. Anyone who keeps talking about money is almost always regarded, at least subconsciously as being evil or wicked.

2) The Misuse of Money

Money has been abused and misused. Sadly, the perpetrators include Christian ministers who have not broken out of the grip of covetousness and materialism.

People fully receive ministry when they can believe the integrity of its main leaders. When trust is violated, any ministry will spiral downhill, and if necessary changes and rectifications are still not made, that ministry will disintegrate.

Over the last 2 decades, we have seen the general trust between church leadership and laity erode because of the abuse of money, especially by church leaders. Much of the abuse centered on extravagant living, misappropriation and mismanagement of church funds. Today the Church still carries the ugly scars of resentment, hostility and skepticism caused in the first place by greedy ministers.

3) The 'Virtue' of Poverty

Proverbs 6:11 - your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.

In many Asian countries today, poverty is stll celebrated as a virtue. Here, it is honourable for young children to go around in the cities, barefooted, bald, clad in orange robes and begging for their food from pathetic looking, dirty bowls. To many here, it is a sign of great spirituality and considered sacred. This is still a prevalent practice in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, India and China and Many other Asian countries. It also prevails in Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and other eastern religions too.

Poverty is linked to virtue, holiness and great spirituality. The minds of these Christians have not been renewed.

Many Christians today still believe that true Christianity must embrace the 'holy suffering' of poverty and lack.


The people of the world have great difficulty believing God is love because they keep seeing Christian unnecessarily suffering poverty, insufficiency and debt. They Church often forgets that the world only walks by sight, sense and circumstance. They don't know anything about faith.

4) The Privacy of Money
Since the fall, man constantly hides and runs both from God and his true self! He became more self-conscious than God-conscious. It is common fact that everyone of us wears masks to hide our true selves from others. As one has aptly put it, there are 3 persons inside of us :
i) the one we think we are
ii) the one others think we are
iii) the one God knows we are


One of the surest way to discover the true character of a person, beneath his facade is by noting the way he uses his money. Money issues are undeniably personal issues. The way a person uses his money can and clearly reveal his true life-values and his character.


It's all My Money - Every working person legitimately thinks he is entitled to spend his hard earned money any way he thinks right and proper. It reasonably follows therefore that a person's money represents his very life. It is something personal and very close to him. The fact is money issues are heart issues! How we spend 'our hard earned' money reveals our innermost values, priorities and beliefs, ie what we consider to be good, evil, right, wrong, human and inhuman, etc are revealed through how we spend money given or entrusted to us.


Money in itself is amoral, that is, it is neither good nor evil. However, it only becomes good or evil through its use. A man's life values, convictions and heart are revealed through the way he redistributes the money in his possession.


The Bible teach that the worker must be paid his wages. This is non-negotiable payment made to a person in exchange for his labour and value added contribution into an industry or business. This payment is not a gift. It is a person's salary. Every hour a worker contributes through his work in a company represents a part of his life. In short, time really represents life. This is obviously something personal - it is his life.


5) The Misconception of God
This final and probably the most widespread cause of financial breakdowns in Christianity today is the ignorance of God's stewardship or management plans for His resources on earth. It is our ignorance of God's ways, will and word that is the root cause of our many defeats and destructions. The church is attempting to serve and work with a God of Whom she knows nothing or very little about. No wonder she did not boasts of great exploits except for those who know their God shall be strong and do mighty things.


In other words, only those who keep seeking will find. Those who keep asking receive. If saints are not going to grow up through actively pursuing truth in and for their lives, they aren't going anywhere in God.


Misunderstanding God
The prayer of faith is one that must be based on true revelation of God - the One to Whom we pray. One who does not believe, will have difficulty making his prayer effective. When a saint prays according to this true revelation, his prayer becomes effective because his faith can then be released. It suffices to state that without an accurate revelation of God, no saint can ever breakthrough in any matter, let alone money matters. 


Our perceptions and attitudes in life generally determine our approaches and responses in life. This is especially so with God - the Source of all things!


In confronting our true conditions, we are enabled to confront our mountains. Remember, we cannot conquer what we are not willing to confront.


Summary of Principles
1. Money matters has been a neglected issue in the Church because of its sensitivity. In order to conquer the territory of money, the Church must first confront it. To defeat the enemy, we must be willing to deal with our weaknesses and the enemy's strengths.


2. Money is a sensitive issue because of the evil element attached to it. It is the love of money, not money in itself that is evil. Money is amoral.


3. It is sensitive also because of its misuse and abuse especially by Christian ministers. The issue of trust, credibility and integrity of ministers is a key issue for breakthrough in these times.


4. Thirdly, poverty has been wrongly connected with virtue and spirituality. Dealing with it can be quite ugly or unwelcoming because of religious spirits that have been allowed to breed like lice for decades under the carpets of the church.


5. The private nature of money is such that the way it is used unmasks the real worth and character of its users. Hence, it's sensitivity.


6. Finally, money is sensitive because sincere but misled saints still do not understand their God for His true character and nature. To talk about money requires knowing the true prospering, increasing, blessing nature of our God. Many will be faced with the reality that they have been dealing with a 'wrong God' in these lectures on money.